Ja'bar Castle, Diamond of Euphrates River

Ja'bar Castle On the top of a high lime-stone hill on the left bank of the artificial lake of al-Assad in Raqqa Governorate, Ja'bar Castle (Qal'at Ja'bar )is located overlooking the Euphrates River . Ja'bar castle is considered as one on the most prominent archeological treasures in Syria due its architectural building which dates back to the pre-Islamic era and its height that is estimated at approximately 400 meters above the sea level, with a length of 500 meters. The castle, which is surrounded by internal and external walls and corridors, consists of a stone-built walls with 35 bastions with geometrical shapes around a high tower called Aliya Tower, and is partially surrounded by a dry moat. The upper parts of the castle are built of baked bricks. The entrance to the inner parts of the castle consists of a gatehouse and a winding ramp cut out of the rock. Inside the castle are the remains of a vaulted hall, as well as minaret that was probably built by Nur ad-Din Zengi, and that is the highest part of the castle. The castle is considered as one of the most beautiful places and landmark tourist destination in Syria as it is rich of blue water-shelves, in addition to its distinguished location. The castle is rich with the archeological findings as the archeological discoveries and findings were displayed at Aliya Tower at the Castle and some neighboring sites.